Australian punk band reports fan suffered “catastrophic spinal cord injuries” after lead singer jumped into crowd during performance

Australian punk band Trophy Eyes has given an update on the health of the young fan who was seriously injured during one of their recent shows.

Bird Piche, 24, suffered a “catastrophic spinal injury” that left her immobilized when lead singer John Floreani threw himself into the mosh pit during a performance in Buffalo, New York, in May.

The Newcastle-based band said in a statement that the incident had left them “truly heartbroken” but that they had decided to continue their US tour in 2024.

The band gave an update on Bird’s health on social media on Saturday and now reports that the fan is making good progress in her recovery.

“We are happy to announce that Bird is in the rehab phase of her recovery,” the band said in a statement posted on Instagram.

They continued: “Through physical therapy, she has regained mobility in her arms and wrists and feeling in her legs and feet has also returned.”

“We are all optimistic about her recovery, but spinal injuries are a very serious matter and require a lot of hard work and patience – the first year of rehabilitation is crucial.”

“Thanks to Bird’s persistence and hard work, she will hopefully soon be able to leave her ward and continue her rehabilitation and recovery in a barrier-free new home.”

“Bird and her family still have a long road ahead of them as they recover, so we kindly ask that you please keep them in mind and continue to respect their privacy.”

The band also thanked their fans for their support in the post, adding: “We remain in regular contact with Bird and continue to work closely with the family to support Bird’s recovery in any way we can.”

The band signed their update with “We love you, Bird.”

Trophy Eyes have already donated $5,000 to Bird’s GoFundMe page, which includes a link to their online band platform.

Fans of the group expressed their support for both the band and Bird in the comments.

“Accidents happen and you guys handled it with all the strength you had. I have the utmost respect for that. I hope Bird is OK and recovers as best as she can,” wrote one follower.

“I’m so happy about the many nice comments on this post to both sides – stay strong and keep going!” added another.

“Sending my love to Bird and those close to her. Also sending my love to the guys in Trophy Eyes,” posted another fan.

In May, not long after the accident, Bird and her family told NBC News that she had regained use of her arms and partial use of her legs, but did not have full use of her hands and toes.

“When you hear about injuries like this, it’s clear that these are very serious injuries and I didn’t expect a recovery,” Bird told the broadcaster at the time.

She has now regained her gross motor skills – the most basic movements of the arms and legs.

Bird wants to develop fine motor skills and the ability to perform complex finger and toe movements to complete simple, everyday tasks.

“My arms are… almost completely mobile, except for dexterity. My fingers are not completely mobile,” she added.

Bird also revealed that her legs were making spontaneous kicking movements.

She explained that she was in rehab and her prognosis was very positive.

“They believe I will make a full recovery. Of course nothing is certain, but they predict I will make a full recovery from everything,” she said.

Bird said she clearly remembered Floreani jumping backwards into the crowd.

“It was like it was his body and my neck, it was a crowd surfing thing.”

Bird’s family was very worried about her after the incident. “We were even afraid that she wouldn’t make it,” said her mother Amy Leigh Flaminio.

“It’s going to be a long road, but the early signs are so promising. It’s exciting.”

The show at Mohawk Place in Buffalo was immediately canceled and Floreani accompanied Bird and her family to the hospital.

The manager of Mohawk Place said there was a strict no moshing policy at the scene of the accident.

“Signs are posted throughout the venue and a notice was included in emails about this show with the show promoter and the band themselves,” manager Mike Thor said in a statement.

“Our policies and best practices call for a complete show stop for all stage diving, which has been implemented for this incident.”

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